MIDDLETOWN, PA – The nationally-ranked York College women's basketball team took to the road on Wednesday for a Capital Athletic Conference contest at Penn State Harrisburg. After a sluggish first half, the Spartans rolled to a 63-30 conference win.
The Spartans improve to 18-0 overall and 10-0 in the conference. The Lions, losers of six straight, fall to 5-13 overall and 1-9 in their first year in the CAC. York is ranked eighth in the nation in both the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll and the d3hoops.com national poll.
The first half was not a work of art for the Green and White as they led by just six with 4:10 remaining in the half. Senior guard Kelsey Murphy (Olney, Md./Good Counsel) hit a triple from the top of the key to kick-start an 11-0 run to end the half as the Spartans took a 34-17 lead to the intermission.
York continued the run in the second half as they held the Lions scoreless for the first 7:31 of the stanza. While the Spartans were getting work done on the defensive end, they scored 11 points to push the lead to 45-17 before the hosts broke their combined 11:41 scoreless drought. The Spartans kept rolling as Sam Hruz (Whitemarsh, Md./Mercy) hit a triple to keep the run going as it reached a combined 34-3 covering 19:21 of play.
The Spartans finished the second half holding the Lions to 13 points including a buzzer beater to get the Lions to 30 points for the game.
The Spartans were again paced by the duo of Brittany Hicks (Dover, Pa./York Catholic) and Kristen Haley (Silver Spring, Md./Georgetown Visitation). Hicks poured in a game-high 18 points with six rebounds in her 28 minutes of action. Hicks was 6-for-10 from the floor, 2-for-5 from three and a perfect 4-for-4 from the stripe. Haley added a double-double with 14 points and a 10 rebounds while she also had a pair of blocked shots. Haley was 3-for-9 from the floor but was a blistering 8-for-9 from the line. Jess Selby (Upper Marlboro, Md./Calverton School) added 12 points on four three-point field goals while she also had four rebounds. Murphy contributed seven points, four assists, and a season-high six assists.
York played all 15 of their active players as nine players reached the scoring column. No Spartan played more than 28 minutes in the victory.
Kaitlyn Carmo and Jasmine Yanich led the Lions with seven points each. Kiara Carter recorded a game-high 14 rebounds while she also had five points.
The Spartans limited the Lions to just 18% shooting for the game including 12.5% in the second half. Harrisburg went 2-for-16 from three and 52.6% (10-for-19) from the line.
York shot a cool 34% from the floor, their lowest shooting percentage game since the 34-point win over Oglethorpe on December 30 in Atlanta. York was 9-for-27 (33.3%) from three while they were an efficient 69.2% from the stripe.
York forced 26 Lion turnovers, which they turned into 20 points on the offensive end of the floor. The Spartans outrebounded the Lions 45-44 in the game.
The win sets up Saturday's big CAC showdown with #15/#17 Christopher Newport in Newport News. The Captains only loss in CAC play came at Wolf Gymnasium, 75-63, on December 7. CNU enters Thursday's game against Southern Virginia with a mark of 15-2 and 8-1 in the CAC. Tip time at the Freeman Center is set for 2:00 pm.